Apparatus for determining high track points



Aug 2, 1966 F. PLASSER ETAL APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING HIGH TRACK POINTS Filed Nov. 26, 1963 LE 1 I:

c D H a a 1, g m w 2 a m 1 m H a a o E a ElC-EnEb United States Patent 3,263,332 APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING HIGH TRACK POINTS Franz Plasser, Johannesgasse 3; Egon Schubert, Sturzgasse 17; and Josef Theurer, Johannesgasse 3, all of Vienna, Austria Filed Nov. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 326,275 5 Claims. (Cl. 33-1) The present invention relates to apparatus for determining track points lying high in respect of adjacent track sections.

Continuous train traflic causes sections of the ballast bed to give so that, after a while, a graded track develops track valleys wherein the track rails are depressed in relation to adjacent high points. When such unevenness of the track has reached a predetermined point set by practical considerations of travel comfort, the track must be graded or leveled. This is done by lifting and tamping the depressed track sections. In one conventional track grading system, the entire track is lifted to a new level but this requires the delivery of considerable quantities of ballast to the grading site to support the track at its new and higher level.

In a more practical system, the track is leveled simply by lifting the depressed track sections between predetermined high points which serve as the reference points for the lifting operation. Various track grading or leveling systems of this type have become known, making use of a reference plane above the track in respect of which the track is lifted. The reference plane may be defined by a tension wire, a light or other electromagnetic wave beam extending from a mobile track grading machine; moving on a previously corrected track section constituting one high or reference point, to an anchor point, which may also be a movable carriage, mounted on another high or reference point ahead of the track grading machine. The track section between these two high points is then lifted to be parallel to the reference plane. Such track grading systems are described and claimed, for instance, in US. Patents Nos. 3,041,982 and 3,074,174 of Plasser and Theurer, two of the joint inventors.

In systems of this type, proper grading is accomplished when the front anchor point of the reference line stands at a high point of the track, i.e. when the front carriage is brought to a stop at a point which is higher than any point between the track grading machine and such point.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which determines a track point which lies highest in respect of an adjacent track section.

Such an apparatus may be used to mark such track points or it may be used as a front bogie or carriage in the above described track grading systems.

This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with this invention by a carriage with wheels running on the track and measuring means mounted on the carriage. The measuring means determines any curvature of the track, preferably automatically in response to the curvature, in a plane extending in the direction of elongation of the track but perpendicular thereto. The determination of a convex track curvature of a predetermined inclination to the horizontal by the measuring means indicates the high track points.

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According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carriage consists of two parts and a coupling pivotally links the two carriage parts. Each carriage part has its own wheel axle extending transversely of the track elongation and at least one carriage part has an additional wheel axle with wheels resting on the track. The one carriage part is the measuring means and includes a sensing element pivotal in relation to the coupling. A pivoting angle of the sensing element in response to a track curvature determines a convex track curvature indicating the high track points and indicating means is provided to read the pivoting angle. 1

Obviously many other means may occur to those skilled in the art for measuring track depressions. Thus, a carriage with two wheel axles may carry a pivotal sensing element mounted on the carriage adjacent at least one of the axles and the sensing element may have means glidingly contacting the track to produce the above-described pivoting angle which indicates high points.

Instead of pivotal sensing elements in gliding or rolling contact with the track, vertically movable elements may be carried by the carriage and their relative vertical position in relation to the carriage axles will indicate the desired high points, as schematically shown in FIG. 2b described hereinafter.

It would also be possible to use a carriage with at least three fixed wheel axles. When such a carriage runs over an undulating track section having valleys and high points, one or the other of the axles will press against the track rails with varying pressures or not at all. These pressure differentials may be gaged to determine the degree of the track curvature at any given point underlying one of the axles, the curvature being measured in a plane in the direction of the track elongation but perpendicular thereto.

If it is desired to mark the high points measured by the apparatus of the present invention visibly, suitable marking means, such as a paint dispensing device, may bev pro vided and such marking devices may be actuated automatically in response to an indicated measurement of a high point.

If the apparatus is used as front bogie in a track grading system operating with a mobile track grading machine and a reference line extending between the machine and the front bogie, it is desirable to make the carriage selfpropelled and to provide controls automatically stopping the carriage when the measuring means indicates a high point of the track.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of a track in the direction of its elongation;

FIGS. 2a and 2b schematically indicate the determination of a track point lying relatively high in respect of adjacent track sections;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of an apparatus according to this invention; and

FIGS. 4a: and 4b illustrate the operation of the appa ratus of FIG. 3, as it runs on the track.

Referring now to the drawing and first to FIG. 1, the track is shown to consist of rails 1 and ties 2. As is usual after heavy traffic has moved over a graded track, it has gone out of alignment and has a number of high points H H and H The curvature of the track extends in a plane in the directioh of the track elongation but perlpendicular thereto, which is the plane of the drawing, and each convex curvature of the track indicates a relatively high track point, which track depressions extending between adjacent high points.

In practical track grading operations, high points along the elongation of the track, in respect of which the track is lifted to level it, are arbitrarily predetermined. For instance, a vertical distance of about 3 cm., or a little more than an inch, from an adjacent valley in the track is considered to constitute a high point in respect of which the track valley is leveled. Any point closer to the bottom of the adjacent track valley would be disregarded in the track leveling operation. Thus, in the track section illustrated in FIG. 1, points H and H would be considered as high points, or reference points for the grading of this track section, while point H would be lower than the arbitrarily set limit and would thus be disregarded.

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate simple methods of determining such high or reference points, regardless of the vertical distance of such points from the bottom of the adjacent track valley. In these methods, these points are determined solely in relation to the immediately adjacent track sections. In the method of FIG. 2a, high point H is determined by the angle w between a first straight line B substantially parallel to one adjacent track section and a second straight line A substantially parallel to the oppositely extending adjacent track section. This angle w is predetermined on the basis of the vertical distance a from the bottom of the adjacent track valley to the high point H When this angle is smaller than the predetermined parameter, the corresponding track point is not considered as a high or reference point for the track grading operation. Any track point which produces this predetermined angle w constitutes a reference point.

a In the method of FIG. 2b, high point H is determined by the vertical distance b, measured perpendicularly to the-track, between the end points of the straight lines A and B.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an apparatus useful for determining track points lying high in respect of adjacent track sections. The illustrated embodiment shows a carriage with wheels running on rails 4, the track consisting of rails 4 mounted on ties 3 in the conventional manner. The high or reference point of the illustrated track section, which is to be leveled in respect of this point, is indicated at 5.

The carriage consists of two parts 18 and 19, and a coupling 6 pivotally linking the two carriage par-ts. In the illustrated embodiment, each carriage part is constituted by a bell crank lever consisting of one arm 20 or 21, which is an element pivotal in relation to the coupling, and another arm 11 or 12 extending upwardly therefrom. The carriage has six wheel axles, two Wheel axles 9 and carrying wheels 7 and 8, respectively, at one end of bell crank lever arms and 21, two wheel axles carrying wheels 13 and 14 at the respective other ends of the arms 20 and 21, and additional wheel axles carrying wheels 16 and 17 intermediate the two end axles on each of the arms.

Each bell crank lever constitutes a measuring means determining any curvature of the track in a plane extending in the direction of elongation of the track but perpendicular thereto. The lever arms 20 and 21 constitute the straight lines A and B and since the ends of these pivotal elements rest on the track with respective wheels 13 and 14, the measuring means automatically determines the track curvature in response to the curvature, determination of a convex track curvature indicating relatively high track points. As schematically shown in FIG. 2a, the pivoting angle of the bell crank lever arm 20 or 21 in response to the track curvature will indicate a high point.

' Means is provided for indicating the pivoting angle and this means may take any suitable form. The illustrated indicating or angle recording means is mounted on the upwardly extending arms 11, 12 of the bell crank levers and consists of a cylinder-and-piston device 15, The piston rod of this device is linked to arm 11 and the cylinder to arm 12. The piston rod may be suitably calibrated so that the cylinder end walls position in relation to the calibration will give a reading of the pivoting angles. Obviously, this indicating or recording means may be substituted by any desirable mechanical, hydraulic, electrical or electronic measuring means designed to read the distance between the upwardly extending lever arms. A very simple device would be, for instance, an indicator or hand fixedly mounted on one arm and a scale on the other arm, the indicator moving along the scale as one arm is pivoted in relation to the other.

If desired, the indicating means may be used for producing a signal automatically stopping the carriage at the indicated track point. Thus, if the carriage is selfpropelled, its brakes and motor may be actuated by a control circuit connected to the indicating means and when the latter assumes a predetermined position, the control circuit would be actuated to stop the motor and apply the brakes. I The provision and operation of such signal-responsive drives are conventional and, therefore, require no description. In the use of such electric control circuits, it may be preferred to use solenoids asindicating means. Such solenoids with movable cores may measure changes in the current strength produced Iby electrical devices measuring angle variations.

Viewing FIG. 3 in another light, the coupling 6 itself may be considered as a carriage with two wheel axles and carriage parts 18, 19 may be considered as pivotal sensing elements mounted on the carriage adjacent the axles. The wheels 13 and 14 constitute means on the sensing elements for glidingly contacting the track whereby each sensing element rests on the track and defines a pivotal angle in response to the track curvature.

The significance of providing intermediate wheels 16 and 17 on the pivotal arms or sensing elements 20 and 21 will appear from a consideration of FIGS. 4a and 4b.

As is known, depressions in the track may occur at the,

meeting points S of adjacent lengths of rails, and such depressions may be inicated erroneously as high or reference points when the convex track curvature reaches the critical angle w preset for the grading operation.

Readings of such short depressions in the track by the apparatus of FIG. 3 are avoided by providing the additional wheels 16 and 17.

As shown in FIG. 4a, the sensing element will not pivot when its end wheels 14 are above depression S because pivoting is prevented by support of the element on the track by intermediate wheels 17. Therefore, such a short depression, i.e. one shorter than the spacing between wheels 14 and 17, will not be registered by the measuring means. As the carriage proceeds beyond point S (see FIG. 4b), the sensing element of the measuring means is again supported in level position by Wheels 14 while wheels 17 are suspended above point S.

While the invention has been particularly described and illustrated in connection with a single embodiment, numerous variations and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art, particularly after benefiting from the present teaching, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for determining the curvature of a track in a plane extending in the direction of the track but perpendicular thereto, comprising a carriage with wheels running on the track, the carriage consisting of two parts constituted as bell crank levers, each of the bell crank levers having'one arm whereon said wheels are mounted and another arm extending upwardly therefrom, the arms of each bell crank lever meeting at a fulcrum, the one arms of the bell crank levers extending in the direction of the track and the other arms of the bell crank levers being adjacent each other, a coupling pivotally linking the fulcrums of the bell crank lever carriage parts, and the carriage parts being freely pivoted about their respective fulcrums in a pivoting angle responsive to the track curvature, and a means mounted on, and interconnecting the other arms of the bell crank lever carriage parts at points remote from their respective fulcrums for indicating the size of the pivoting angle of the carriage parts.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least three axles extending transversely of the track Whereon said Wheels are mounted, tWo of said wheel axles being mounted on one of the carriage parts.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the Wheel axles are mounted at respective ends of said one bell crank lever arm of the one carriage part.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an additional Wheel axle with Wheels intermediate the tWo end axles.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivoting angle indicating means is a calibrated cylinder-and-piston device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 367,708 8/1887 Dudley 33146 FOREIGN PATENTS 615,529 2/1961 Canada.

326,777 5/ 1921 Germany.

748,986 5/ 1956 Great Britain.

911,974 12/1962 Great Britain.

657,880 5/ 1929 France.

LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

20 ISAAC LISANN, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE CURVATURE OF A TRACK IN A PLANE EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACK BUT PERPENDICULAR THERETO, COMPRISING A CARRIAGE WITH WHEELS RUNNING ON THE TRACK, THE CARRIAGE CONSISTING OF TWO PARTS CONSTITUTED AS BELL CRANK LEVERS, EACH OF THE BELL CRANK LEVERS HAVING ONE ARM WHEREON SAID WHEELS ARE MOUNTED AND ANOTHER ARM EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, THE ARMS OF EACH BELL CRANK LEVER METTING AT A FULCRUM, THE ONE ARMS OF THE BELL CRANK LEVRS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACK AND THE OTHER ARMS OF THE BELL CRANK LEVERS BEING ADJACENT EACH OTHER, A COUPLING PIVOTALLY LINKING THE FULCRUMS OF THE BELL CRANK LEVER CARRIAGE PARTS, AND THE CARRIAGE PARTS BEING FREELY PIVOTED ABOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE FULCRUMS IN A PIVOTING ANGLE RESPONSIVE TO THE TRACK CURVATURE, AND A MEANS MOUNTED ON, AND INTERCONNECTING THE OTHER ARMS OF THE BELL CRANK LEVER CARRIAGE PARTS AT POINTS REMOTE FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE FULCRUMS FOR INDICATING THE SIZE OF THE PIVOTING ANGLE OF THE CARRIAGE PARTS. 